Live Review: Treasure Island Music Festival

Post navigation

Treasure Island Music Festival: Nonstop joy: Aidin Vaziri | Death Cab for Cutie brought the fifth annual Treasure Island Music Festival to a euphoric close on Sunday by delving into its back catalog for the emotionally wrought ballad “Transatlanticism,” a song driven by the lyrical mantra “I need you so much closer.” For fans and indie-music bands alike, that’s exactly what was on offer at the two-day concert, organized by Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment. Even though it attracted a sun-drenched crowd of 25,000 over the weekend, Treasure Island still felt like a boutique event. Calling most of the acts on the bill – curiously named entities such as Shabazz Palaces, Dizzee Rascal and Wild Beasts – cult sensations would be a little too generous. That meant that for the most part the music always felt intimate, if not incidental. The Great Lawn – a 125,000-square-foot rectangle of land on the west shore with sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline – had the laid-back atmosphere of a backyard barbecue, where people either spread out blankets and took it all in or stumbled around dressed as pirates and sea creatures. There were 26 acts playing on two stages and the music never stopped (for better or worse, given the intensely varied lineup). Read more.